Metroid

70%

Stumble upon Earthbound when the cement of your young brain is still drying, and you're liable to come away indelibly warped. Shigesato Itoi's masterpiece – the SNES sequel to the also-pretty-fucking-weird Mother – is a sendup of American culture. At first blush, this is a cute, quirky little RPG, fronted by psychic-powered scamp Ness, and his entourage of button-eyed pals, who – after a meteorite unleashes an alien presence – must battle such adorable foes as X, Y, and Z. But shot through the heart of the game is a deeply freaky weirdness. And then there is Gigyas, the mind-rape monster of nightmares. –Shaula Clark